A POLICE officer attending a report of two men fighting fell over a garden wall as he struggled with one of the antagonists.

Blackburn magistrates heard that Naiem Abbas was shouting abuse across the road when police arrived.

He refused to listen when advised to calm down, and tried to get at the other people.

Abbas, 27, of Queens Road, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to assaulting PC Claudio Fardella and using threatening behaviour towards him.

He was made subject to community supervision for 12 months, with a drug rehabilitation requirment.

He was also ordered to pay £100 compensation to the officer.

Pat Bramley, prosecuting, said the officer tried to stop Abbas getting across the road and the two men ended up falling over the wall and the officer was punched.

Ben Leech, defending, said the guilty plea to assault was on the basis that when he and the officer fell over the wall Abbas had struck him unintentionally.